A Friend for Klunk
by Madvy
Summary: A one-shot story about a little adventure Klunk takes and a friend he meets along the way.


Disclaimer: I do not own Klunk, any of the turtles, or Splinter. I do, however, own Jade and any humans who are heard or appear in this story.

Author's Note: There are very few stories out there that feature Klunk in them, and the ones that do usually have Mikey taking the majority of the spotlight. So, I decided to give Klunk his own tale-one that would allow more than just the occasional "meow." I do actually own the other cat that makes an appearance in this story. I was watching her one day as she was basking in the sun in one of the windows of our house, when a great idea popped into my head. Remembering all the other cats that prowl around our neighborhood, I began to wonder what might happen if she and Klunk were to happen upon one another one day. Granted, we don't live in New York, but hey, anything is possible in writing. So now, without further adieu, here is my one-shot story about cats.

_This story is dedicated to all the cat lovers and cat owners out there. "Meow."_

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"A Friend for Klunk"

By Madvy

It was shaping out to be another typical day in the teenage mutant ninja turtles' lair. If you call living with giant mutated turtles and one over-sized rat, typical. But if you're a cat like Klunk, who used to live on the streets, any home that provides food, a warm bed, and a little attention, whether it be with humans or otherwise, is a blessed welcoming.

Leonardo was practicing his usual katas in the dojo while Splinter was meditating in his room. Raphael was taking a rather loud nap on the second floor, while Donatello was working on some sort of mechanical device in his always-messy lab. And, of course, Michelangelo was parked firmly in front of the television, tuning in faithfully to the _Happy Days _marathon that was said to be playing all day. The orange-clad turtle reached over and began to stroke the feline that lay beside him on the couch.

"Hey there, Klunkie, how you doin'?" The orange and white tabby yawned quietly as he stretched out on the pillow his owner had given him. "Hmmm, you seem tired. Were you up all night again?" Klunk purred softly as the tri-fingered hand rubbed his head. "Probably keeping all the mice and stuff out of the lair, huh."

Though he never understood what Mikey, or anybody else for that matter, said to him, Klunk still enjoyed hearing the soft tones of their voices and getting his fur rubbed. He loved to lie on the couch with Mike. He was always so gentle and kind. Being the one who had rescued him from the cold of the past winter had established a very strong bond between the youngest turtle and the cat, though a little food probably played a part in the relationship as well.

Klunk was snapped out of his dreamlike state when Mikey suddenly stopped petting him and turned his attention back to the TV. The commercials had ended and another episode was starting. Missing Mike's reassuring pats, Klunk hopped off the pillow and began to paw Mike's thigh.

"Meow, meow."

"Shhh, quiet Klunk. I'm trying to hear the music. I love the _Happy Days _theme song." The turtle suddenly burst out singing the lyrics at the top of his voice. "Sunday, Monday, happy days! Tuesday, Wednesday, happy days! Thursday, Friday, happy days! Saturday, what a day, cruisin' all week with you!" Mikey was now jumping up and down, dancing to the beat.

As the turtle was about to begin the chorus, four other voices rang out through the lair: "Michelangelo!"

Mike didn't need to hear anymore. He knew just from the way that his family had yelled his name meant that he was singing too loud for everyone's comfort. "Sorry!" he answered. Making sure he didn't make too much noise, he settled himself back on the couch, completely unaware that his pet was no absent from the article of furniture.

Mikey's sudden outburst had completely spooked Klunk. Cat's ears are incredible sensitive to high pitched sounds. Mike had literally blown Klunk's ears out, and in hurried angst, the tabby had taken refuge under the couch. Poking his head out to make sure that all was safe now, Klunk slid out from under the couch. He glanced around the couch and looked up at Mike. The turtle was now enveloped in the TV and Klunk knew that when his owner was staring that deeply at the talking box, that there was no way to snap him out of his trance. What was with people and that thing anyway? All the box did was make way too much commotion and display colored dots that were too much a blur to comprehend anyway. (I read about this-dogs and cats can't actually see the images on TV's. Their brains can't interpret the pictures, so they see the many pixels of color instead.)

Lowering his head, Klunk walked out of the living room. With Mike distracted, Klunk knew that his chances of attention were limited. Unless he wanted to get himself in trouble, which he didn't, he knew the other turtles and Splinter would probably pay him little mind.

Sitting on the side of the lair, Klunk began to ponder what to do next. Any chance of receiving attention was out, which meant so was getting food. And Klunk had already taken his daily five hour nap earlier that morning. Feeling restless, the feline suddenly felt the urge to explore and prowl. Having already patrolled every nook and cranny of the lair, Klunk decided that the best way to find some action would be to go aboveground. Yet, how was he to do it? He knew that the only way to get topside was by means of the turtles, but how could he possibly convince on of them to bring to the surface?

As if God had heard Klunk's restless plies, Donnie suddenly emerged from his lab and headed to the elevator. From past experiences, Klunk knew that the elevator led to the warehouse while was level with the street. Realizing that this was his chance to escape the boringness of the lair, Klunk followed Don into the elevator. There was a slight humming noise and then the elevator doors slid open. Trailing Donnie but making sure to stay out of his sight, Klunk slipped out of the elevator and ran to the wall of the warehouse. Looking back to make sure that no one was watching him, (Don was busy rummaging through his tool box) Klunk nudged one particular brick out of the way and squeezed through a small hole in the wall.

'Free at last,' he thought, as he made his way onto the street. 'Fresh air, blue skies, and plenty of rodents to chase. Everything a cat needs to make an outing perfect.'

Taking a quick breath of the city, Klunk headed off down an alley to look for some helpless prey to catch.

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Klunk's alley cat days were still relatively fresh in his memory, so he didn't have any trouble finding his way around the back alleys. He knew them like the back of his paw, which was really quite impressive for a cat that spent most of his time in the sewers.

But today, Klunk had wandered into an alley he didn't recognize. The smells were different, not like the ones he was used to smelling. In the past, Klunk had come across some vicious dogs when he had gotten lost in a part of town that was unfamiliar to him. Remembering the experience, Klunk began to wonder if there might be any dogs in this foreign alley too. He hid behind a trash can and carefully took in his surroundings. He didn't smell any dogs, only garbage. He didn't hear any dogs, just the sounds of the cars and people passing by outside of the alley. After a few minutes of waiting, Klunk decided that weren't any threats in this alley and that it was safe to explore. He stepped out from behind the trash can and resumed his exploration of the surface world.

Klunk had just reached the end of the alley when thought he heard the sound of another cat. Startled, he quickly glanced around, but couldn't pick up any feelings of another cat's presence. He was about to wander off, when he heard another faint "meow." But this time, Klunk realized that he wasn't hearing it was immediately around him, but instead, from _above_ him.

Confused, Klunk glanced up towards the sky and beheld a site he could not believe. Sitting in the window of a top floor apartment was the most gorgeous cat Klunk had ever seen. Based on its size and slim muscle tone, Klunk guessed that it was probably a girl. She was completely black, with the exception of a white tuff of fur on her chest. Her hair shown brightly in the sun, giving off a silky spectacle. She wore a purple and white stripped color that completely highlighted her dark features. If the fact that she was sitting in the window of an apartment didn't give away the acknowledgement that she was owned, then the tags that she wore were more than enough. They glowed in the sunlight, making each turn of her elegant head shoot off a burst of reflected light. To Klunk, this was like a beacon, calling out his name and inviting him to meet the beautiful feline in the window. Without a second thought, Klunk knew that he just had to get to know this mysterious cat.

Looking around, he spied a fire escape that led right up to the window the black cat was sitting in. With the grace and stealth that only cat or a ninja could possess, Klunk leapt up the fire escape and made his way to the window. When the other cat first saw Klunk, it hissed and prepared to defend itself. Klunk knew these classic signs; they were all typical body language of cats. He crouched down and meowed softly, showing his submission to the other female cat. Slowing the black cat eased itself back into a normal sitting position as it became more comfortable with having this strange orange and white tabby just outside the screen window frame.

The two cats soon began a charismatic conversation of varying meows as each stared at the other. Klunk was so transfixed with the black cat that he failed to notice the human suddenly entering the room that the female feline was sitting in. Quickly ducking out of view, he listened as the human came closer, calling out the cat's name.

"Jade, Jade! Jade, there you are. I've been lookin' all over for you." As the blonde haired human approached the window, Klunk backed up closer to the edge of the fire escape. "Jade, get up. You're sitting on my notepad. I need that to finish my story on cats." Klunk watched as the human picked up the black cat, fished the notepad out from underneath her, and put her back down on the windowsill. Sneaking out of his hiding place, Klunk wandered back to the front of the window.

'So, this beauty's name is Jade. That's such a pretty name,' he thought. Looking into Jade's eyes, Klunk discovered how the cat had gotten its name. The color of the female's eyes was almost the exact hue of a stone of jade. They shone with a greenish tint that reflected the sun's rays better than any mirror ever could. 'She's got such beautiful eyes,' thought Klunk.

By now, the human had made her way over to a computer set up on a desk in the corner of the room. A rather loud meow made her suddenly look up from her typing. "Oh, what's this? Another cat? Well Jade, it looks like you've just found a friend." The girl got up and walked over to the window. The sudden movement frightened Klunk and he began to back away. "Oh, don't be afraid little kitty. I won't hurt you." Though Klunk didn't understand what the human was saying, he recognized her tone of voice as soft and comforting. He watched as the girl opened the screen window and extended her hand out to him. "Here kitty, kitty, kitty. It's ok. It's all right. There's nothing to be afraid of. Come here."

Sensing that this strange human wouldn't hurt him, Klunk took a few hesitant steps towards the outreached hand. He carefully smelled the long fingers, completely taking in the essence of the human. Quickly glancing at the cat called Jade, Klunk was meet with a reassuring stare. Klunk figured that if one Jade could be comfortable around this girl, then he could be too. After smelling the fingers, he rolled into a motion of rubbing his head up against the offered hand.

"There now. See, that wasn't hard, now was it?" The girl's voice was calm and supportive. It was the same tone of voice that Mikey loved to use around Klunk back in the lair. The girl began to rub more of Klunk as the tabby grew more and more comfortable with the human. She stroked him so gently; it was if she had owned him right from the start and knew all the best places to pet a cat.

Watching the two, Jade couldn't help but get slightly jealous. After all, she was the only feline in this apartment, and she certainly didn't like other cats, no matter how cute, cutting in on her affection time with the humans. Jade quickly slipped her head in between the fingers of the girl's other hand.

"Well, well, well. It looks like someone is a little jealous," said the human, "Don't worry, I've got two hands, so there's enough love and attention from me to go around."

The three stayed like that for at least a good five minutes-the human stroking the two cats, while the kitties purred softly, basking in the gentle attention the girl. For Klunk and Jade, this was paradise. Who needed cat treats and squeaking mice when one was being rubbed on the head?

The relaxing peace was suddenly disturbed when a voice rang out through the apartment. "Girls, we have to go! You two have a hair appointment at 6!"

Though Klunk didn't recognize the voice, the human girl apparently did. "Ok mom, I'm coming! Sorry Jade, but it looks like you have to come inside now. Say good-bye to your friend." With one last meow, Klunk watched as Jade was picked up and placed on the floor of the apartment. "Bye little kitty," was the girl's final comment as the window was closed and the shutters drawn.

At first, Klunk waited to see if the window might possible open again to reveal the black cat inside, but the window remained closed. Getting up, Klunk pawed the glass and gave a few fruitful cries. "Meow, meow, meow." But nothing came, only silence. Sighing, Klunk realized that the window would not be opening up again.

Looking up at the sky, Klunk could see that the sun was beginning to set. He knew that he should be getting back to his home pretty soon; he had learned long ago that it wasn't the best idea, even for a cat, to be out on the streets and back alleys of a big city at night. With one last glance at the quiet window, Klunk left. He jumped from level to level of the fire escape until he had reached the ground. Putting his tiny nose to the ground, he meticulously retraced his steps until he had found his way back to the warehouse.

Squeezing his way back through the hole in the wall, Klunk was surprised to find Donatello still working in the warehouse. 'Boy that turtle knows how to keep busy. Me must have been working in here the entire day,' he thought as he crept closer to Donnie.

Donatello had packed up and was just getting ready to head back down into the lair, when he heard a tiny squeak behind him. "Meow…"

Turning around, he was amazed to find Klunk staring calmly up at him. "Klunk, what are you doing up here? You're not supposed to be running around outside the lair without us." Shaking his head, he picked up the duel-colored tabby and headed into the elevator.

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"Oh Mikey!"

"Yeah, what is it Don?" called Mike from behind the couch.

"Look who I found wandering around up in the warehouse."

Curious, Mike turned to look at his brother. "Klunk!" Jumping up, Mikey raced over to where Don was holding the tabby cat. "Where have you been?" he said as he picked his kitty up, "I thought you sleeping in the lair somewhere. Where did you find him Donnie?"

"As I told you before, up in the warehouse."

"The warehouse? How'd he get all the way up there?"

"How am I supposed to know? You're just lucky that I found him. He could have gotten out on the streets and by then, who knows what could have happened to him."

"Yeah, I guess I am lucky. Thanks for bringing him back down here Don," said Mike as he stroked the cat under the chin.

"Well, I hope that this may teach you a lesson about keeping a better eye on your pets, Mikey."

But by now, Mike was already walking back to the TV and had barely heard Donatello's last comment. "Yeah, yeah, sure, whatever you say Donnie."

Don stared as his brother's attention was once again fixed fully on the TV. "Figures…" he muttered as he headed off to get a well needed snack from the kitchen.

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Well, he may not be receiving the full attention of his owner, but Klunk was once again happy. He was sitting pleasantly in Mikey's lap as the turtle half-consciously stroked the cat's orange fur. Despite being a little cold, the turtle's gentle touch began to remind Klunk of the soft rubbing he had been given by the human earlier in the day.

Thinking back, he suddenly began to miss the girl's company as well as the cute black cat that had originally drawn his attention to that apartment window. Wrapped in his thoughts, Klunk wondered if he would ever see Jade or her owner again. Since he now knew the way to the alley, Klunk could try and sneak back to the apartment, in hopes of spying the black cat again, whenever the chance to leave the lair presented itself. Unfortunately, Klunk wasn't sure when such an opportunity would become available again.

Yet, in all, it wouldn't be so bad if he couldn't leave the lair for awhile. Despite its occasional shortcomings, Klunk loved his home and wouldn't give it up for anything.

'For now,' thought Klunk, 'I'll stay put. I'll see Jade again someday. I'm sure of it. And maybe I'll even get to be petted by that girl again too.' With hopeful thoughts for the future swimming in his head, Klunk laid his head down on Mikey's lap and fell into a blissful sleep.

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Authors Note: So, what did you guys think? Kinda cute, huh? I'll bet you'll never guess who the girl in the apartment was. Give up? It's me! That's right-I made a cameo in my own story. That's just one of the advantages to being a writer; you can right yourself right into the text. I loved writing this story. I just hope that it wasn't too long to be a one-shot story. But even if it was, I think it really gives some nice characterization to Klunk. Hardly anyone ever thinks of the main characters' pets in TV shows, so I'm sure this story will stand out among others. Please review it and tell me what you thought of it. And don't worry; I'm still working on getting the next chapter of "Away From Myself" up. I know it will be posted by the end of next week. I'm also trying to get another one-shot story posted. It's a song fic, so I hope everyone will enjoy it once I finally have it finished. For now, though, please be patient with me. Take care and as always, GOD BLESS. :)


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